The present invention relates to a slide and shell container with a hinged flap, which finds particular application as a container for smoking articles such as cigarettes.
It is known to package smoking articles and other consumer goods in containers including an outer shell and an inner slide or tray in which the consumer goods are housed and which is slidable within the outer shell. To remove consumer goods from such containers, a consumer slides the inner slide from an initial position within the outer shell to an open position in which the inner slide projects outwardly from the outer shell. Slide and shell containers in which the consumer goods are housed in an inner slide having a hinged lid that covers an open end of the inner slide are also known.
Graphics and text are typically applied to the exterior of packaging for consumer goods in order to communicate information to the consumer. However, packs of smoking articles are typically relatively small in size, and so have limited visible exterior surface area for displaying such information. It is known to include additional panels on packs of smoking articles in order to increase the surface area available for displaying graphics and text and hence the amount of information that may be communicated to a consumer.
It would be desirable to provide slide and shell containers for consumer goods, in particular smoking articles, having substantially the same external appearance as known slide and shell containers, but with additional surface areas that may carry, for example, supplementary brand, advertising, promotional or product information.